Single reconfigurable test solution - the easy way of speeding up product development

Siemens Flow Instruments (SFI) develops and produces high-tech flowmeters for the process industry. During the development of a new flow transmitter SFI needed a single automated test solution that could verify product functionality across software and hardware changes. The test solution had to be reconfigurable in order to handle product changes during product development.

The flowmeters feature displays, buttons, I/O and several types of fieldbus communication. Our task was to design, build and implement a single reconfigurable testsystem that would allow SFI to test all these features. The testsystem incorporates Vision analysis for the display, activation of capacitive buttons, synchronized analog and digital I/O as well as fieldbus communication.

Along with the physical testsystem a software toolbox of custom steps for TestStand was prepared. With this toolbox SFI is able to build up advanced test sequences and quickly reconfigure channels, signal types and communication protocols, without worrying about the advanced underlying technology and software drivers.